Ice-creeper.



No 818,520. PATENTED APRL24, 1906. C. O. COOK.

ICE CREEPER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1905 (5 135, awn Mk CHARLES O. COOK, OFBERNARDSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ICE-CREEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed June 26,1905. Serial No. 267,092.

To (4Z7 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES 0. Cook, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Bernardston, in the county of Franklin and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIce-Creepers, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to attachments for boots and shoes, andparticularly to an icecreeper. An object of this invention is to providea device which is readily attached to the shoe or boot withoutdetracting from the elasticity or yielding action of the sole thereof.Devices of this character when applied to a shoe usually prevent freemovement of the foot of the wearer and prevent the bend at the instep,causing the user to walk stifflegged. The device which is thesubjectmatter of this invention is so pliable as to permit the bend atthe instep and permits the user to walk in the ordinary way.

Further, an object of this invention is to provide an ice-creeper of thecharacter described in which the tangs or prongs are bent from thematerial forming the body of the device, and thereby permitting itsconstrue tion from a single piece of Wire of the required flexibility.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel means forsecuring the toe end of the device to the toe of the shoe and in theprovision of novel means for attaching anklestraps to the heel end ofthedevice for the purpose of fastening the ice-creeper in place.

Finally, an object of this invention is to provide a device of thecharacter noted which will possess advantages in points of efficiencyand durability, proving at the same time sim ple in construction andcomparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe details of construction and in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail refer ence will be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in whichFigure 1 is a view in perspective, showing the ice-creeper in itscompleted state. Fig. 2 is aview in elevation, showing the applicationof the device to an ordinary shoe.

In the drawings A indicates a shoe, and by the use of the term shoe Imean any footcovering which may be worn, such as a boot, moccasin, orslipper.

The ice-creeper comprises in its construction a single piece of wirewhich is bent centrally to form the loop B, which is designed to bracethe toe of a shoe, and this loop has an approximately horizontal baseportion 6 and a curved upper portion b, as fully shown. The base portion6 is formed of two diverging portions of the wire meeting centrally ofthe length of the base and extending therefrom at right angles. Twoportions of the wire are coiled for a suitable distance, as shown at C,and one of the strands of said wire is bent downwardly on itself to forma spur or tang c. The two portions of the wire are then crossed andcaused to diverge for a suitable distance and then bent downwardly toform the spurs or tangs D E. The two portions of the wire are thencaused to converge to a point in line with the portions C, which may betermed the center of the device. The two portions of the wire are thentwisted to form a shank F, which extends from the ball of the foot to apoint near the heel. The portions of the wire forming the shank are thencaused to diverge to approximately the Width of a heel of a shoe, andsaid portions are then bent downward to form the tangs or spurs G H,which are provided for the purpose of supporting the heel 011 each side,so as to prevent sidewise movement of the foot.

From the tangs or spurs G H the sections of the wire converge and arethen twisted to form the heel-supporting section I, whichheel-supporting section is designed to extend under the central portionof the heel and is then bent up at an angle to form an approximatelyvertically disposed portion J, which fits against the rear of the shoe.The portions of the wire are then caused to diverge on a planeapproximately parallel with the plane of the portion 1, though divergingslightly, and the said sections of the wire are then bent into the loopsK L, and the terminals of the wire are extended toward the plane of thesection I and. then bent inwardly to approximately the same plane as thesaid section I to fit under the heel of the shoe.

The ends of the wire are looped around the main portion of the Wire tothe rear of the tangs or prongs G H and are then secured in any suitablemanner by soldering or otherwise.

The loops K L are designed for the purpose of receiving the straps M N,one of which has the buckle O for the purpose of permitting the saidstrap to be fastened around the instep of the user.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the entiredevice is constructed of a single piece of wire, that the shank betweenthe tangs D E and G H lies directly under the center of the foot, and byreason of its being formed of Wire the said shank will yield to themovement of the foot for the purpose and advantages heretofore setforth.

Havingfully described my invention,what I claim as new, and. desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is E An ice-creeper comprising a single strandof Wire looped approximately centrally to embrace the toe of a shoe, thesaid wire being twisted from the loop, a suitable distance, a tang orspur bent from one of the sections of the Wire, the said sectiondiverging from the said tang, two tangs in transverse alinement, bentfrom the wire, the said sections of the wire being then converged, ashank formed by twisting the Wire, heel-tangs in transverse alinementformed by bending the wire on itself, a heel-supporting sectionextending rearwardly, a heel-embracing section formed by divergingportions of the wire, strap-securing loops bent from the sections of thewire, and heel-supporting sections formed by the converging ends of thewire and means for securing the terminals of the section to the body ofthe device, near the rear tangs.

In testimony whereof I afhX my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses, this 23d day of June, 1905.

CHARLES O. COOK.

Witnesses:

E. B. FRANKLIN, C. CORNELIA ALFoRD.

